This invention relates generally to talking dolls and particularly to those having additional features to enhance realism in interactive play patterns with children.
With the development of relatively low cost commercially available digital sound circuits, practitioners in the toy arts have endeavored to provide various toys with sound or speech capability. One of the most pervasive uses of digital sound producing circuits is found in dolls which exhibit a capability for speaking. Such speaking dolls often include additional features which further enhance the realism of the speaking activity. Thus, dolls have been provided which include movement mechanisms in addition to the speech apparatus to provide realistic features such as mouth movement or the like. While the fabrication of electronic sound producing circuits of the type used in dolls or other toys is subject to substantial variation, all generally include a sound processor or controller together with a memory suitable for storing the digital signals corresponding to various predetermined words phrases or sounds. Such circuits typically utilize a power amplifier to provide sufficient audio power to the audio signals developed by the processor to enable the circuit to drive an acoustic transducer such as a speaker or the like. Throughout the development of speaking and sound producing toys, the direction of development and the challenge to the practitioner of the toy arts has been to provide evermore interesting and amusing talking and sound producing toys.
Not surprisingly, the continued popularity of sound producing toys has prompted practitioners in the toy arts to endeavor to provide ever increasing sophistication and capability in such toys. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,430 issued to Hoyt sets forth a VOICE RESPONSIVE TOY which seeks an emitted sound such as a child""s voice. The toy include control circuitry for activating an associated drive mechanism to turn and/or guide the toy toward the child""s voice. A battery-powered motor drive system responds to the control circuitry to move the toy physically in the direction of the detected sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,653 issued to McKeefery sets forth a SPEAKING TOY DOLL which responds with spoken words and/or sentences to the touching of selected portions of the doll by a user. The toy further includes voice actuation in response to the user""s speech which is sensed by a microphone within the toy. In response to the user""s speech, the toy randomly selects a sentence which is audibilized by the speech circuitry within the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,225 issued to Satoh, et al. sets forth an INTERACTIVE TOY FIGURE WITH SOUND-ACTIVATED AND PRESSURE-ACTIVATED SWITCHES having a toy body resembling a kitten including an extending tail. An operative mechanism within the toy body utilizes a battery-powered motor drive to articulate the toy kitten""s tail.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,428 issued to Curran sets forth a INTERACTIVE TALKING TOY which speaks and moves certain body parts such as eyes, mouth, head and arms under the control of a microprocessor. Program material selected from a tape storage device incorporated within the body of the toy is used by the processor to respond to human speech.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,927 issued to Dankman, et al. sets forth a VOICE-RESPONSIVE TALKING TOY which in response to a complex sound such as human speech generates a train of audio pulses. The pulses are pseudo-random with respect to frequency composition and duration. The resulting sounds simulate syllabic speech.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,676 issued to Koguchi, et al. sets forth a MOVING ANIMAL TOY having a motor operatively coupled to the upper and lower pivotally supported beaks of a bird-like body. Additional apparatus also driven by the motor slowly twists the head of the toy sideways. When a voice is uttered against the toy, it is received through a microphone by a voice recording and reproducing device. After a specified time elapses, the voice is reproduced by the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,200 issued to Currin sets forth a WHISPERING DOLL having a tape deck processing an endless loop tape upon which multiple tracks of speech are stored. The tape playing device is responsive to a plurality of switches placed about the toy body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,516 issued to Saitoh sets forth an ANIMATED SINGING TOY BIRD WITH EXTERNAL STIMULUS SENSOR capable of carrying out movement simulating a real bird. The body is arranged so as to be movable with respect to the leg section and the head is further movable with respect to the body. The toy bird may be actuated to produce bird-like sounds in response to sound, light or other stimulus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,326 issued to Ting sets forth a SHAKING TOY having a plush figure resembling a monkey supported within a surrounding cage. In response to stimulus, the toy figure swings back and forth in the cage. An accompanying sound is generated within the toy figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,038 issued to Arad, et al. sets forth a DOLL WITH PROGRAMMABLE SPEECH ACTIVATED BY PRESSURE ON PARTICULAR PARTS OF HEAD AND BODY in which a doll includes an internal speech producing mechanism together with a plurality of pressure responsive switches supported upon different portions of the body. The speech system responds to the stimulus of one or more of the body supported switches to produce sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,336 issued to Lebensfeld, et al. sets forth a SUBJECT SPECIFIC WORD/PHRASE SELECTABLE MESSAGE DELIVERING DOLL OR ACTION FIGURE which is capable of providing when activated words or phrases specifically relating to a particular subject, activity, profession or other area of interest for which the doll or action figure is dressed. This selectability is provided by utilizing a doll or action figure which incorporates an audio generator contained therein together with message containing components removably connected with the outfits of wearing apparel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,726 issued to Cohen sets forth a ANIMATED SITTING AND STANDING SANTA CHARACTER having a base upon which a chair is supported together with a toy figure resembling Santa Claus. The toy figure is multiply articulated and is coupled to a drive mechanism which allows the toy figure to move between a standing and seated position upon the chair.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, interesting and amusing toy figures and dolls which utilize speech simulation.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved talking doll. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved talking doll having a head movement which provides a more realistic response by the doll.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a talking doll comprising: a doll body having a torso and a head; a body housing supported within the torso-and defining an interior body cavity; a head housing within the head pivotally coupled to the body and defining an interior head cavity; a reversible motor supported within the interior body cavity; first gear means operatively driven by the reversible motor; a shaft coupler operatively driven by the first gear means; a shaft having a first end engaging the shaft coupler and a second end; a head coupler coupling the second end to the head housing; a control and sound circuit having a left microphone, a right microphone, sound producing means and means responsive to the microphones to energize the reversible motor in a first direction in response to sound energizing the left microphone and in a second direction in response to sound energizing the right microphone; and a position switch operatively coupled to the shaft coupler providing an off signal to the control and sound circuit when the shaft coupler is pivoted left or right beyond a predetermined position, the head being pivoted to left or right in response to sound from left or right respectively.